By Mike Esterl
Coca-Cola Co. has formally requested that FIFA support an
independent commission to reform the soccer's scandal-plagued
governing body.
The letter by the longtime sponsor, sent to FIFA's leadership
last week, raises pressure on embattled FIFA President Sepp Blatter
to overhaul the soccer association ahead of its planned executive
committee meeting Monday.
Sponsors have signaled growing unease with FIFA since U.S.
authorities in May indicted 14 people linked to the organization on
corruption charges. Mr. Blatter, who hasn't been indicted or
admitted to any wrongdoing, said last month he intended to step
down.
A Coke spokeswoman confirmed Friday the letter was sent to FIFA
urging that a third-party commission be overseen "by one or more
eminent, impartial leaders" to manage reform. She declined to
provide more details about the letter.
The Atlanta-based beverage giant sent a separate letter earlier
Friday to the International Trade Union Confederation, or ITUC, a
Brussels-based international labor association campaigning for FIFA
reforms. In that letter, reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, Coke
said it made its formal request to FIFA on July 9 and that an
independent commission was necessary to overhaul FIFA's governance
and human rights requirements.
"We believe that establishing this independent commission will
be the most credible way for FIFA to approach its reform process
and is necessary to build back the trust it has lost," Coke stated
in its letter to ITUC.
Atlanta-based Coke has sponsored FIFA since 1978 and its current
deal runs until 2030.
Sharan Burrow, ITUC's general secretary, praised Coke for
"setting a new leadership benchmark" among sponsors in pushing for
FIFA reforms. ITUC, which represents 180 million workers globally,
has criticized the selection of Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup
soccer tournament, accusing the country of using slave labor.
Coke has been careful until now to push publicly for reform at
FIFA without making any demands. The company sent a letter to FIFA
in May after the indictments urging the soccer body to take
concrete actions, but didn't specify which actions, according to a
person close to Coke.
Despite ratcheting up the pressure in last week's letter, Coke
hasn't threatened to pull its FIFA sponsorship, according to a
person familiar with the matter. The company also hasn't demanded
at any time that FIFA relocate the 2022 tournament or that Mr.
Blatter step down, the person added.
When Mr. Blatter said in June that he planned to step down, Coke
called it "a positive step." It added at the time that it expected
FIFA "to act with urgency to take concrete actions" to overhaul
soccer's governing body.
Write to Mike Esterl at mike.esterl@wsj.com
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